A Memorial for Brian Martin

Brian Martin knew next to nothing about cockatoos. One visit to the Chloe Sanctuary changed that. Attracted to our feathered one like a steel to a magnet, he gave his heart to them.

A close friend of our board president, he came down to visit and instantly connected with our ragtag flock of rescued sanctuary birds. As our largest individual donor last year, Brian helped to keep us afloat at a time when donations were hard to get and our executive director’s business had slowed down. Most of our funding comes from that director.

Brian Martin was dying of cancer. His last wish was to help others. He made equal gifts to 9 organizations that save lives. Ours was one.

A lifelong resident of Oregon, he also believed that all beings deserve to die with dignity. His cancer was of the particularly painful variety, so instead of dying in horrible pain he chose to make his mark on the world and then leave it in peace. We are grateful that his home state of Oregon allowed him the right to die with dignity.

Thank you Brian, for your gift of life to us.

The bitterest tears shed over graves
are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.